Pick-up device and pick-up method for a watercraft

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for recovering watercraft. A ramp is movable relative to a stationary carrying apparatus between a recovering position and a parked position. The ramp includes a frame and a deformable body, which is fastened to the frame. When the ramp is in the recovering position, the deformable body points toward the watercraft to be recovered and is located at least partially above the water surface. The watercraft travels onto the ramp and deforms the deformable body from above. The watercraft is pulled out of the water and moved onto the carrying apparatus.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A recovery apparatus for recovering from water a watercraft, the recovery apparatus comprising:
 a stationary carrying apparatus sized and shaped to carry a watercraft; and 
 a ramp that is configured to move relative to the stationary carrying apparatus; 
 wherein the ramp is configured to move into a recovering position, in which the ramp is located at least partially beneath a surface of the water and is configured such that the watercraft can travel onto the ramp; 
 wherein the recovery apparatus is configured to lift the watercraft out of the water and guide it onto the carrying apparatus; 
 wherein the ramp includes a frame; and 
 a deformable body fastened to the frame such that the deformable body points toward the watercraft located in the water when the ramp is in the recovering position, wherein the deformable body comprises a gas-fillable cavity, wherein the cavity is surrounded by an envelope made of a deformable material, and 
 wherein the recovery apparatus is configured to hold the deformable body at least partially above the surface of the water when the ramp is in the recovering position. 
 
     
     
       2. The recovery apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the recovery apparatus comprises a delivery device configured to deliver gas under pressure into the cavity. 
     
     
       3. The recovery apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the cavity is configured to be enlarged to a maximum volume by being filled with gas, and, at least when the cavity has reached the maximum volume, the deformable body is capable of floating on the water. 
     
     
       4. The recovery apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the deformable body comprises a deformable solid body manufactured from a material that has a lower specific weight than water. 
     
     
       5. The recovery apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the recovery apparatus comprises a support apparatus configured to carry the ramp located in the recovering position such that the deformable body is located at least partially above the water surface. 
     
     
       6. The recovery apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the deformable body is connected to the frame in a connecting region,
 wherein the extension of the connecting region in the direction of travel of a watercraft to be recovered is less than the extension of the frame in the direction of travel, and 
 the deformable body is capable of floating on the water at all times or in at least one state, wherein, when the ramp is in the recovering position, the deformable body floats on the water, the frame of the ramp is at least temporarily entirely under the water surface, and, outside the connecting region, a vertical gap arises between the floating deformable body and the frame. 
 
     
     
       7. The recovery apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the ramp is connected to the stationary carrying apparatus in a movable manner such that a watercraft on the ramp located in the recovering position is capable of pushing the ramp down relative to the carrying apparatus. 
     
     
       8. The recovery apparatus of  claim 1  the deformable body, both parallel and transversely to the direction of travel of the watercraft onto the ramp, takes up in each case at least half of the ramp located in the recovering position. 
     
     
       9. The recovery apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the frame of the ramp has a carrying element, wherein the deformable body is fastened to the carrying element and wherein the carrying element has a dimension in a direction perpendicular to the direction of travel of a watercraft onto the ramp that is at least as large as the dimension of the stationary carrying apparatus in this direction. 
     
     
       10. The recovery apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the ramp is configured such that a surface of the deformable body points toward the watercraft to be recovered located in the water, and comes at least temporarily into contact with the watercraft when the ramp is in the recovering position, wherein at least one running roller is mounted on the surface. 
     
     
       11. The recovery apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the deformable body has a coating element connected releasably to the deformable body and, when the ramp is in the recovering position, points toward a watercraft to be recovered located in the water. 
     
     
       12. The recovery apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the ramp is movable out of the recovering position into a parked position, wherein, when the ramp is in the parked position, the deformable body is located between the frame of the ramp and the stationary carrying apparatus. 
     
     
       13. The recovery apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the ramp is movable out of the recovering position into a parked position, and the recovery apparatus has a receiving chamber, which, when the ramp is in the parked position, is configured to receive the deformable body. 
     
     
       14. The recovery apparatus of  claim 13  wherein the frame of the ramp comprises at least one planar component, which extends in a plane, wherein, when the ramp is in the parked position, the plane of the planar component encloses an angle of at most twenty degrees with the vertical. 
     
     
       15. The recovery apparatus of  claim 13  wherein the recovery apparatus comprises a deflector element, which, when the ramp is in the parked position, is located beneath the deformable body. 
     
     
       16. The recovery apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the deformable body is permanently in a state or is configured to be brought into a state in which the buoyancy of the deformable body causes the ramp located in the recovering position to float on the water. 
     
     
       17. The recovery apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the recovery apparatus comprises at least one conveying unit configured to pull a watercraft located on the ramp out of the water. 
     
     
       18. The recovery apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the dimension of the deformable body in at least a direction that is perpendicular to the watercraft traveling onto the ramp in the direction of travel is able to be increased to a maximum dimension, in which the deformable body takes up at least half the width of the ramp frame. 
     
     
       19. The recovery apparatus of  claim 18  wherein the recovery apparatus comprises a carrying structure and at least one flexible connecting element, wherein the at least one flexible connecting element is connected to the carrying structure and to the frame of the ramp, and wherein the deformable body is configured such that, at least when the ramp is in the recovering position, the deformable body enlarged to the maximum dimension tautens and/or tensions the flexible connecting element. 
     
     
       20. A ship comprising the recovery apparatus of  claim 1 . 
     
     
       21. The ship of  claim 20  wherein the ship has an outer hull, and the ramp is movable from the recovering position into a parked position, wherein, when the ramp is in the parked position, the frame of the ramp terminates flush with the outer hull. 
     
     
       22. A method for recovering a watercraft from water using a recovery apparatus having a stationary carrying apparatus and a ramp that is movable relative to the stationary carrying apparatus, wherein the method comprises:
 moving the ramp relative to the carrying apparatus into a recovering position, in which the ramp is located at least partially beneath a surface of the water; 
 moving the watercraft onto the ramp located in the recovering position; 
 lifting the watercraft from the water; 
 guiding the watercraft onto the carrying apparatus, 
 wherein the ramp has a frame and a deformable body fastened to the frame, with the deformable body comprising at least one gas-fillable cavity, wherein the step of moving the ramp into the recovering position causes the deformable body to point toward the watercraft located in the water; 
 wherein, when the ramp has been moved into the recovering position, the deformable body is held at least partially above the surface of the water, and 
 wherein the step in which the watercraft travels onto the ramp triggers an operation whereby the watercraft deforms the deformable body from above, 
 wherein the method comprises delivering gas into the at least one gas-Tillable cavity of the deformable body at latest when the watercraft reaches the ramp. 
 
     
     
       23. The method as claimed in  claim 22  wherein the step of moving the ramp into the recovering position and the step of delivering gas into the cavity are carried out in a temporally overlapping manner. 
     
     
       24. The method of  claim 22  wherein the step of moving the ramp into the recovering position also causes the deformable body to float on the water, and the step in which the watercraft travels onto the ramp is carried out while the deformable body is floating on the water. 
     
     
       25. The method of  claim 22  wherein the step of moving the ramp into the recovering position additionally causes the frame to be held under the surface of the water in a fixed position relative to the carrying structure, and causes at least a part of the deformable body to move upward relative to the frame, held under the surface of the water, of the ramp.